Newsletter on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with a special focus on Africa Volume 1, Issue 9 (CITES) with a special focus on Africa April / May 2008 This Issue Dedicated to Professor ‘Hezy’ Shoshani The Africa Regional In this issue, you will Animals Committee which Bureau of the Species Sur- find information about the both took place in Geneva vival Network (SSN) results of the 17 th meeting in April 2008. You will would like to dedicate the of the Plants Committee also find information about April/May issue of CITES and the 23rd meeting of the the harmful impact of inter- Afrique to elephant expert national trade on African Professor Jeheskel "Hezy" cranes, successful wildlife Shoshani who tragically law enforcement efforts in lost his life in a minibus Kenya, the Congo and bombing in Ethiopia on Cameroon, and the publica- May 20, 2008. SSN tion of a study showing that mourns the loss of this the United States has be- passionate advocate for come one of the most im- elephant conservation portant ivory markets in the whose work will remain an world. inspiration for SSN and its With our best wishes, Members in the years to come. We would like to Will Travers, Shelley Wa- extend our condolences to terland and Alice Stroud, Hezy’s family and friends Professor Jeheskel « Hezy » Shoshami, SSN Africa Regional Bu- at this terrible time of loss. elephant expert, and friend of SSN. reau Latest CITES Postings and Notifications ♦The CITES Secretariat No.2008/030) ing facility for two falcon withdrew the recommenda- ♦The CITES Secretariat species and a Singapore tion to suspend trade with informed Parties that it had captive breeding facility for Ethiopia, Nepal and the distributed, for the last time, Asian arowana Sudan, but confirmed the paper copies of Parties’ (Scleropages formosus ). recommendation to suspend original CITES permits and The facilities will be in- trade with Gabon, Rwanda, certificates because all cluded in the Register on 2 and Somalia for failure to CITES permits /certificates July 2008 and 15 July 2008 submit the questionnaire used by the Parties will now respectively if no objections seeking information regard- be posted online in the fo- are received from Parties ing the control of ivory rum section of the CITES (CITES Notification Nos trade by 31 December 2007 website (CITES Notifica- 2008/031/033) (CITES Notification tion No.2008/032).A link to ♦The CITES Secretariat Nos.2008/035/025/028). the CITES sample per- informed Parties that China ♦In CITES Notification mits/certificates will be has listed four coral species No. 2006/077, the Secre- provided in the forums for in Appendix III. This listing tariat distributed a form and CITES Management Au- is scheduled to take effect explanatory notes to report thorities and Enforcement on 1 July 2008 (CITES seizures of ivory and other Authorities. Instruction for Notification 2008/027). elephant products for inclu- Parties to subscribe to the ♦The CITES Secretariat sion in the Elephant Trade forum are available at distributed a list of coun- Information System (ETIS) <http://www.cites.org/forum/for tries using new CITES Se- database. Such forms can be um.php > curity stamps (CITES Noti- submitted to the Secretariat ♦The CITES Secretariat fication 2008/034). or directly to TRAFFIC. has informed Parties that it ♦The CITES Secretariat The Secretariat has in- has been requested to in- posted information about formed Parties that the clude in the CITES Register registration for the Standing email address used by of operations that breed Committee meeting (CITES TRAFFIC to receive ETIS Appendix I animals species Notification 2008/024). The reports has changed and is for commercial purposes: a deadline for Parties to regis- now: [email protected] United States captive breed- ter is 30 June 2008. (CITES Notification Inside this issue: Important CITES Dates African Cranes Threatened by Illegal Trade 2 • 30 June 2008: deadline for Parties to register for CITES AFRIQUE CITES AFRIQUE United States as a Major Ivory Market 2 the meeting of the Standing Committee • 1 July 2008: China Appendix III listing of coral Tribute to Jeheskel "Hezy" Shoshani 2 species takes effect. • 14-18 July 2008: 57th meeting of the Standing Results of the AC / PC meetings 3 - 4 Committee in Geneva, Switzerland Enforcement in Kenya, Cameroon and Congo 5 Capacity building corner 5 SPECIES SURVIVAL NETWORK’S AFRICA REGIONAL BUREAUSSN member and CITES species of the month 6 African Cranes Threatened by Illegal Trade Six species of crane, all listed in Trust Partnership, showed that these four A workshop organized by the IUCN/ CITES Appendix II, are present in Af- species of cranes were negatively af- SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist rica: the grey crowned crane ( Balearica fected by “the illegal removal of indi- Group (CBSG) in October 2007 decided regulorum ), the black crowned crane viduals and eggs from the wild for food, that “a proposal to upgrade the black (Balearica pavonina ), the wattled crane traditional use, domestication and illegal and grey crowned cranes from Appendix (Grus carunculatus ), the blue crane trade markets” and that “the captive II to Appendix I at the next CITES Con- (Anthropoides paradisea ), the Demoiselle populations within zoo associa-tions ference of Parties meeting would be de- crane ( Anthropoides virgo ) and the com- were unsustainable and the CITES data- veloped and promoted. Concurrently, a mon crane ( Grus grus ). All bu the com- base indicated that large numbers of review of the current status of the cranes mon crane and the Demoiselle crane are wild-caught cranes were still being would be made and a proposal for a Vul- endemic to Africa; these two species are traded.” nerable status for the black and grey winter visitors only. ♦ crowned cranes proposed. Black crowned crane ( Balearica pavonina ):):):): Two motions would also be Population: 43,000 to 70,000 ( Birdlife International 2008 ) Preliminary IUCN category: Near Threatened developed for the IUCN’s investigations car- ♦ Grey crowned crane ( Balearica regulorum ):): World Conserva-tion Con- ried out in 2006- Population: 58 000 to 77 000 ( Wetlands International 2002 ) gress to be held in 2008, 2007 on the black IUCN category: Least Concern including one on the crane crowned crane, the ♦ Wattled crane ( Grus carunculatus ):):):): trade and the other on the Population: 6000 to 8000 ( Birdlife International 2008 ) grey crowned IUCN category: vulnerable inconsisten-cies in CITES crane, the wattled data.” ( CBSG News 2008 ) ♦ Blue crane ( Anthropoides paradisea ):): crane and the blue Population: about 25,500 ( Birdlife International 2008 ) crane by the Afri- IUCN category: Vulnerable SSN fully supports this can Crane Trade ♦ Demoiselle crane ( Anthropoides virgo ):): initiative and encourages Project, under the Population: 200,000 to 240,000 ( Wetlands International 2002 ) African range States to rein- auspices of the In- IUCN category: Least Concern force national efforts for the ternational Crane ♦ Common crane ( Grus grus ):): protection of African cranes Population: 270,000 ( Wetlands International 2002 ) Foundation/ Endan- Black crowned crane ( Balearica regulorum ) IUCN category: Least Concern from the harmful effects of gered Wildlife © Embassy of Rwanda in Kenya international trade. United States Recognized as One of the Largest Ivory Markets A study, primarily funded by SSN This evidence of the existence of ille- into the country. Agents from the U.S. members Care for the Wild International, gal trade between China and the U.S. was Fish and Wildlife Service working in the the Humane Society of the United States revealed only a few months before the St Paul, U.S., area where the seizure took and Save the Elephants, has found that possible approval of China as an ivory place reported that "The market, which is the United States (U.S.) “is one of the trading partner at the next Standing Com- fueled by traditional Asian medicinal and world's leading ivory markets and fails to mittee meeting in July 2008. Results from cultural needs, is having a devastating comply with both CITES regulations and the study were published just days before effect on some of the world's most criti- its own domestic laws”. The conclusions the indictment in May 2008 of two cally endangered wild- are based on investigations of thousands American women for attempting to im- life." (www.startribune.com ). of retail outlets in 16 American cities port nearly 1400 wildlife products, in- between March and December 2006 and cluding elephant teeth and monkey parts, SSN congratulates U.S. authorities March and May 2007. for this successful seizure and encourages the US government to respond to the International ivory trade experts Dr. findings of this newly-published report Esmond Bradley Martin and Dr. Daniel by increasing its enforcement efforts Stiles reported that “There is more throughout the country to curtail the worked ivory for sale in the U.S. than harmful effects of illegal ivory trade. anywhere else in the world, except for Please don’t hesitate to contact SSN if China” and that “Large quantities of you need more information relating to worked ivory from China are illegally ivory trade or on the possible approval by the Standing Committee of China as an imported to the U.S. by individuals and Internet prices for tusks in the U.S., Dr. Martin and Dr. Stiles Report for through the Internet.” Care for the Wild International, 5 May 2008,Table 2 of report summary. ivory trading partner. SSN Mourns the Loss of Elephant Expert Jeheskel Shoshani Professor Jeheskel "Hezy" Shoshani relatives for over 35 years. Hezy estab- 25 years and at the University of Asmara was among several people killed in an lished the Elephant Research Foundation in Eritrea since 1998. Last year he moved explosion in a public minibus in down- in 1977.